Lora Williams, LCSW Founder and Director

Lora is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 26 years of social work and counseling experience. As the founder and owner of HARP Christian Counseling, she has an undying passion to help others experience the joy in life that God intended. She founded HARP out of a vision to serve others by offering Christian counseling using evidence based clinical treatment methods integrated with a Biblical perspective and devotion to Christian values and beliefs.

Lora has worked with many individuals and families over the last 26 years and has successfully assisted clients facing all types of crises and challenges including depression, anxiety, divorce, parenting issues, marital distress, substance abuse and dependence, domestic violence, mood and thought disorders, PTSD, traumatic life events, adjustment disorders, developmental disorders, grief and bereavement, and end of life issues. Lora is qualified to provide services to individuals of all age groups. She is known to have tremendous compassion for her clients and makes them feel comfortable by relating to them in a relaxed manner. She has a keen gift for identifying the underlying issues and helping clients find practical solutions to their problems. As part of the assessment process Lora may utilize any number of well-known assessment tools to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing the client. With children, Lora may utilize play therapy in order to facilitate communication between the child and the therapist.

Lora graduated with honors from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Psychology in 1989. From her graduating class of 1989 at ASU she was chosen as the Outstanding Student in the Psychology Department. Lora attended Southwestern Theological Seminary for a time and then later graduated with a Master's of Science in Social Work in 1993 from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is qualified to provide individual, family, and marriage counseling, and she enjoys working with school aged children, adolescents, and adults.

As a Christian counselor who values the application of Biblical truths and principles to the therapeutic process, clients who receive counseling services from Lora can expect to have faith incorporated as an integral part of their therapy. When appropriate and welcomed by the client, Lora will utilize prayer or application of scripture during therapy sessions. Lora believes that each therapy session can be a tool to create a safe atmosphere for the client to experience the love of God. Pain and brokenness can often make it difficult to know God's love, but within the supportive atmosphere of therapy, Lora believes that individuals can begin to experience the depth of God's love for the them and gain a better understanding of their worth and value within that relationship.

Lora's counseling style focuses upon developing an in-depth understanding of the person and their existing supports, their struggles in the current moment, and their experience of God in their life. With her clients she will seek to quickly establish a meaningful and genuine working relationship based on warmth, understanding, and compassion. She also seeks an openness to the work of the Holy Spirit during the process of counseling. Lora's strong clinical skills, Biblical focus, and extensive experience as a clinical social worker bring a wholistic approach to counseling that allows for comprehensive healing within the body, soul, and spirit. From a clinical perspective, Lora utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy treatment approaches, finding that CBT as a treatment modality aligns with Biblical thought, teaching us to make changes in thinking patterns for more healthy coping. This is consistent with the Biblical admonition to take our thoughts captive for Christ.

Prior to founding HARP Christian Counseling, Lora worked in various counseling and social work roles with various ages and various populations including working for many years with a group of 24 churches in Fort Worth, Texas as the Director of Christian Social Ministries. This outreach provided tremendous support to that local community and the provision of Christian counseling offered alongside practical assistance became a large part of the success and growth of this ministry.

Lora has been happily married to her first and only love, Steve, since 1988. Together they have two grown children. In her spare time she loves spending time with her family and friends, bike riding and trail blazing with her husband and young adult children, participating in the intercessory prayer ministry at her church, snuggling with her three dogs, getting dirty in the creek in her backyard, and working in her flower gardens.

Lora is currently credentialed with traditional Medicare, BCBS, BCBS NC State Health, Tricare, Aetna, MedCost, Multiplan, Blue Medicare, and United Health Care.